Sweet potatoes in autumn
by mynKitska
Summary: Tokiya's first encounter with children his age was an energetic little boy with a bright smile and a quaver note plushie.
1. satsumaimo

**Title:** Sweet potatoes in autumn  
><strong>Author:<strong> Kitska  
><strong>Character(s)|Pairing(s):<strong> Tokiya, Otoya Tokiya+Otoya  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG  
><strong>Warnings:<strong> cute little bubbies  
><strong>Summary:<strong> Tokiya's first encounter with children his age was an energetic little boy with a bright smile and a quaver note plushie.  
><strong>Author's Notes:<strong> A lot of liberties for their childhood were taken for this fic, so I will apologise in advance if anyone doesn't agree with my headcanon for them. Otoya's and Tokiya's childhoods are pretty much unknown except from what's in the games, so I'm mostly fleshing it out from there.

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><p>Another month, another new and unfamiliar place. At 5 years, Tokiya didn't understand why his mother had to constantly move around and bring him along with her. He was perfectly fine living on his own, with his tutor-babysitter for company, but in his young mind he supposed it was just his mother's way of keeping a close watch on him, especially with his father absent for so long.<p>

They stayed in a small rented apartment, not as grand as what Tokiya's used to, but he's in no position to complain. He didn't venture out during the first two weeks of their stay, content with staying indoors because the weather was turning cold. It was at the end of the third week that his tutor encouraged him to at least step outside for some fresh air, which he did, albeit reluctantly.

Bundled up in warm clothes and holding hands with his tutor, Tokiya tugged his indigo scarf tighter around himself as they walked around the neighbourhood. They bought hot and steaming sweet potatoes from a open stand when Tokiya mumbled about being cold, and went to a nearby playground when his tutor received an urgent call from his mother.

The phone call ended with the tutor sighing, and he asked Tokiya to stay put in the playground while he attend to business. Tokiya wondered why he wasn't sent back to the apartment, but he didn't get to ask as his tutor ran off before he could even open his mouth. Alone with a bag of steaming sweet potatoes, the young boy sat on an empty bench, nibbling gingerly on a piece.

"Hi, are you new?"

Tokiya glanced up, blinking owlishly as a boy around his age appeared in front of him, hugging what seems to be a plushie in the shape of a music note. Tokiya frowned a little afterwards, hiding behind his scarf. Should he talk to the boy? His mother and tutor always told him not to talk to strangers, but a kid his age shouldn't be a problem, right?

"… Uh, hi…"

"I've never seen you before!"

"… I just moved here."

The boy grinned and held out a hand. "Otoya. What's your name?"

He looked at the offered hand, hesitating before reaching out to shake it, his own hand warm from holding the sweet potatoes. "Tokiya."

The boy, Otoya, smiled, then leaned in closer when he smelled something delicious. "Uwah, are those sweet potatoes? Can I have one?"

"Uhm, sure…"

Otoya placed the plushie down between him and Tokiya before reaching into the bag for a wrapped piece, tearing apart the foil and skin gingerly. It was still pretty hot, and he giggled as he blew on the treat.

"I live there!" Otoya told Tokiya, pointing to an old-looking building close by. "It's an orpamage!"

"Orpamage?"

"Un! My uncle said I'm here because I have no mama and papa."

"Why?"

Otoya kept quiet and looked pretty sad at the question, and Tokiya felt bad for asking him about it. He was about to say something else when the other boy sneezed twice, wiping his nose with a sleeve afterwards and staring sullenly at the half-eaten sweet potato in his hands.

"I think I got germs on it, Tokiya…"

Tokiya smiled a little, reaching into his bag for another. "You can have a new one. I have lots."

"But isn't it for your family?"

"It's okay. Mother doesn't like them because she says it makes her fat, and Sugata-san bought too many, so I can share."

"Uwah, Tokiya's so nice! Thanks!"

The two boys sat together and ate in silence, with the occasional sniffling from Otoya. Tokiya frowned a little, unwrapping his scarf from his neck and pushing it towards the smaller boy.

"Here. Take it. You're all sniffly and that's bad because it means you're getting sick. Sugata-san says that it's bad being cold and sick at the same time."

Ruby eyes widened in surprise at the gesture, and Otoya hesitated before taking the scarf and putting it around his neck. "Uhm, thanks…" he mumbled with a sheepish yet gracious smile on his lips.

_"Otoya-kun! Where are you?"_

The two boys immediately looked up when they heard someone call for Otoya, and the redhead gasped before hopping off the bench.

"I havta go, Tokiya~ I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

Otoya took off before Tokiya could say goodbye, the indigo scarf still wrapped around his neck. Tokiya watched him leave, hand outstretched, then sighed and slumped back on the bench. His tutor came back a few minutes later apologising to the boy, but Tokiya tuned him out, clutching onto the music note plushie and staring hopefully at the orphanage.

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><p>The next day, Tokiya dragged his tutor out, much to the latter's surprise. The plushie was tucked snugly in his jacket, and he cradled a new bag of sweet potatoes in his arm.<p>

They stopped at the orphanage, and Tokiya quietly asked his tutor to request for a boy named Otoya. Surprised, but never questioning, the tutor did so, and for a short while, Tokiya was left standing by the counter while the tutor talked to the head of the orphanage.

"_Is there a boy named Otoya? My young master wishes to speak to him."_

"_I'm sorry, but Otoya-kun was recently adopted. He moved out just this morning."_

"_I see."_

Tokiya didn't understand what she meant by 'adopted', but he knew 'moved out' meant that he won't ever see Otoya again. Frowning, he ran back to the playground, ignoring his tutor's shouts, and sat down at the same bench he was at yesterday, holding back angry tears.

"Otoya you liar…"


	2. 11 years later

**11 years later**

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><p><strong>Author's notes:<strong> The dialogues and actions from the first part are taken from the drama CD Prelude, tracks 2 and 3. I'm not very fluent in Japanese, so I'm playing most of it by ear, so more apologies in advance!

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><p>"Aah, so it <em>is<em> the real deal! HAYATO da, HAYATO!"

Tokiya froze where he was standing with Shou and Ren, clenching his fists. He knew it was a bad idea to come to this school knowing that he'd definitely be mistaken for his stage identity, but he had to if he wanted to debut as Ichinose Tokiya and not a faker like HAYATO. So, steeling himself, he waited until the person - a boy with bright eyes and red hair - bounced up to him with a big grin on his face.

"Nee nee, say 'Ohaya-ho!~' Nee, nee~"

"You have the wrong person."

Shou spoke up from beside Tokiya, all seriousness in his tone. "This guy here is Ichinose Tokiya, HAYATO's younger twin brother."

The redhead blinked in confusion, and lucky for Tokiya, he was distracted when Ren started talking to another teen, Masato. He was content to stay in the background, observing everyone and their interactions with each other, until they had to leave to start the games.

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><p>Ittoki Otoya, Tokiya learned, was a very interesting individual. During their first game battle together, Tokiya didn't know why he helped Otoya with the game and save that damn cat, but the younger teen had a certain charm to him that Tokiya felt was familiar. Like a long forgotten memory.<p>

"_Tokiya! Stretch out your hand!"_

"_Otoya! Shift your centre of gravity!"_

It felt _right_ to call Otoya by his first name, Tokiya realised after they saved the cat and received their prizes, even though they've only met for less than a day. He wasn't sure if Otoya felt the same though, and he wasn't one to dwell on it, even though the niggling feeling that he forgotten something important hadn't gone away.

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><p>It took half a year of living with Otoya and tolerating the other teen's quirks and habits for Tokiya to realise something, especially when Otoya took out a pretty worn out but <em>very familiar<em> scarf from his wardrobe to wear as the weather got colder.

"Otoya… where did you get that scarf?"

The redhead blinked, tucking the loose ends in his jacket. "Oh, this? I got it when I was a little kid, right before I was adopted, my old caretaker told me."

_Right before he was adopted?_ Tokiya wondered, still glancing curiously at Otoya while the latter pulled out his shoes and mumbled something about it being the right weather for sweet potatoes and hot cocoa. _Otoya… was adopted… Wait, he __**knew**__ someone named Otoya once… and he was from an orphanage…_

"Otoya, which orphanage did you come from?"

"The small one in Fukuoka."

_Fukuoka, Fukuoka…_ "Is it the one with the playground?"

"Yeah…. how did you know that, Tokiya?"

Tokiya frowned, reaching under his pillow to grab the battered up plush he kept. The vibrant red felt had dulled to a faded crimson, but it was still in a pretty good condition, the stitches still holding strong even after eleven years. Nodding a little, the older teen held out the plush, and Otoya took a while before he recognised it.

"Onpu-kun!" He ran over to hug both Tokiya and the plush, happy tears forming at the corners of his eyes. "I thought I lost you when I moved out! Where did you find him, Tokiya?"

"You left it with me, silly."

"Eeh? I can't remember…"

"It was cold, and you were sniffly." Tokiya sat up straighter, adjusting the scarf around Otoya's neck. "'And that's bad because it means you're getting sick. Sugata-san says that it's bad being cold and sick at the same time.'"

Ruby eyes widened in recognition, and Otoya hugged Tokiya tighter, pressing his face against the older boy's neck. "So it was you…" he mumbled, his voice soft. "You're that boy with the sweet potatoes…"

"Yes."

The two stayed like that for a while, until Tokiya spoke up. "You broke your promise, Otoya."

"Huh?"

"You told me that you'd see me tomorrow, but you left without even saying goodbye. You made me a very sad boy that day."

Otoya sat back, pouting as he wiped at his eyes. "I wanted to call you, but then I remembered I didn't know your full name or your number. And I was so happy to find out that I was adopted it kinda slipped my mind, I guess…"

Tokiya sighed, ruffling Otoya's hair. "Don't do it next time. Or else I won't forgive you."

"Hai, Tokiya."

"And you still owe me those sweet potatoes I wasted that day."

"Eeh? Gomen…"


End file.
